Keeping jumbos cool: A Johor Fire and Rescue Department fireman spraying water on elephants found wandering in Kluang to prevent them from getting dehydrated amid the hot weather. Photo courtesy of Johor Fire and Rescue Department.
SHRINKING wildlife habitats in Johor coupled with climate change has resulted in an increase in human-wildlife conflicts.
Last June, the issue of monkeys wandering into residences and public facilities was even raised during the Johor State Assembly sitting.
Of late, there have been several viral videos of elephant sightings or invasions in the state.
Last December, an incident where an elephant entered the compound of Kluang Prison went viral on social media.
Less than a month later, clips of elephants taking down a gate at a house in Taman Perdana, Kluang, also created a stir on social media.
This month, a herd of elephants damaged the gate and window panes of a house in Taman Sri Lambak, Kluang. The houseowner’s CCTV recording of the rowdy pachyderms went viral too.
This was around the same time that a tiger was said to be prowling around the Felda Ulu Tebrau in Johor Baru, following the discovery of a headless cow carcass. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Vincent Chow said human-wildlife conflicts had been occurring for years but they were often ignored or taken too lightly by society.
“We have encroached too deeply into the natural habitats of animals for far too long and we are now seeing the results of our own actions.
“We cannot blame the animals for this. The problem has been going on for a long time but nothing has been done to address the issue.
“In fact, more of these animals’ natural habitat has been taken away for development or plantations.
“Perhaps with the advancement of technology, it has now become easier for human-wildlife conflicts to be recorded and shared on social media but these encounters aren’t new,” he said.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department personnel capturing a crocodile from an orchard in Kampung Linau Kecil in Batu Pahat in July 2020. – Photo courtesy of Johor Fire and Rescue Department
Chow said the areas around Gunung Lambak and Gunung Belumut in Kluang used to be a wildlife reserve but had been turned into plantations, leaving the animals with no place to go.
“Their natural passageways, especially those around rivers, have disappeared due to overdevelopment.
“That is why we are seeing even more elephants around plantations and residential estates in that area. They are trapped.
“If we were to give them back parts of their natural habitat, such conflicts could be avoided. It is high time that the government addressed this problem that has been getting worse each year,” he stressed.
He said the absence of water sources during hot and dry weather could also affect the health of wildlife such as elephants, even leading to death.
Chow said the government should also work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as MNS to tackle the issue before it was too late.
A screenshot from a viral CCTV video showing an elephant taking down the gate of a house in Taman Sri Lambak, Kluang, in April.
“NGOs have the expertise to assist the government as we have been working on the ground and observing wildlife for years. We are more than prepared to work with the government to address this issue.
“The state government should also form a permanent committee consisting of NGOs to address human-wildlife conflicts.
“This is something that requires a long-term solution and the committee should remain for a long time. It should not be dismantled every time we see a change in politicians or governments,” he highlighted.
He said that there should also be more warning signage at places where wildlife had been spotted, especially crocodiles.
“We can see signboards reminding road users to slow down as there are animals such as elephants and tapirs in the area, but we don’t see such signs for crocodiles.
A screenshot from a viral video where an elephant was seen taking down the gate of a house at Taman Sri Lambak in Kluang in April.
“Often when they are spotted, crocodiles have been harmed. These warning signs should be put up to inform the people that there are crocodiles and also warn them against hurting the reptiles.
Pasir Gudang Estuarine Crocodile Sanctuary manager S. Dana Raj said climate change and interactions with humans could affect the population of estuarine crocodiles.
“For every 100 crocodile eggs that hatch in the wild, only one is likely to survive up to a year.
“Baby crocodiles are very vulnerable and are often the food for other animals such as birds and even fish.
“Baby crocodiles that are ensnared in fishing nets are often killed by humans. Fear of the reptiles lead to people killing young crocodiles without much thought.
“The survival rate of baby crocodiles is also affected by the weather and the heatwave can reduce their chances of reaching adulthood,” he elaborated.
Dana Raj says the inability to predict crocodile mating and nesting seasons may increase potential conflict. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
Dana Raj said climate change too had affected the mating season and behaviour of wild estuarine crocodiles.
“The mating and nesting seasons of estuarine crocodiles are highly dependent on the weather. When weather is cold, the reptiles will start to mate while in the hot season, they will nest or lay eggs.
“In the past, we could predict the mating and nesting seasons of the crocodiles but we can no longer do that as the weather patterns have now become very unpredictable.
“This can potentially cause more conflicts between humans and crocodiles as we can no longer anticipate when they will surface for the mating and nesting seasons,” he said.
Dana Raj advises the public to be vigilant when they are near rivers.
“Keep a distance from the reptile if you spot it, as these animals tend to be less interested when the prey is far away.
“Call the authorities to handle the animals and don’t do anything that will aggravate the animal,” he added.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operation director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said the department had received over 18,000 calls from the public related to animal-human conflicts since 2020.
He said they ranged from those involving cats and dogs to encounters with animals such as snakes and crocodiles.
“Our policy is to attend to every call, regardless of whether it involves wild or domesticated animals.
“While any wildlife conflict is under the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), we will still be at the scene when our assistance is needed. Often, people call us directly when wild animals are sighted.
“Sometimes, we also assist Perhilitan in other ways such as spraying water on elephants that have been caught (to prevent dehydration) before they are relocated,” he added.
Ahmad Mukhlis said the fire department received 1,679 calls involving animals in the first four months of this year.
“Majority of the calls we receive are about snakes. The snakes that we capture are relocated away from humans.
“It is important that the public call us when they come across such animals and not attempt to deal with the animals on their own,” he said.
Aminuddin says relocating wildlife involved in a human-animal conflict is always a final resort.
Johor Perhilitan director Aminuddin Jamin said relocating wildlife involved in human and animal conflicts would be the final resort in most cases.
“We try to encourage them to return to their natural habitat but if it is too dangerous to do so, we will physically transport them to a more suitable place.
“We remind the public to lodge reports with the department when such conflicts occur, so that immediate action can be taken,” he said.
Viral videos episodes:
• July 2020 – Videos of an adult elephant and a calf rummaging through a fruit stall at Batu 6, Mawai in Kota Tinggi, went viral on social media. The fruitseller was reported to have suffered losses of about RM1,000.
• January 2021 – An elephant was spotted in front of a school and a stadium in Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi. A video showed the elephant walking along Bandar Penawar's streets.
• October 2021 – Two wild elephants walking in front of houses in Taman Bandar Tiram in Johor Baru were caught on CCTV.
• March 2022 – Johor Perhilitan reportedly said it received 14 complaints of elephants encroaching on the Desaru Fruit Farm, Pengerang in Kota Tinggi.
• August 2022 – Johor Perhilitan confirmed that 10 wild elephants had been roaming around Taman Seri Impian in Kluang. Photos and a one-minute video of their activities went viral on social media.
• December 2022 – A video of an elephant entering the compound of Kluang Prison caused a buzz on social media.
• January 2023 – Video clips of elephants taking down the gate of a house in Taman Perdana, Kluang, were widely shared on social media.
• April 2023 – Videos captured a herd of elephants crossing a road in Kluang.
• May 2023 – Rowdy elephants damaging the gate and window panes of a house in Taman Sri Lambak, Kluang, were captured on a CCTV recording. Viral video episodes
